Voyager II
Voyager 2
by: Abby S.
The Voyager 2 space probe has been in use since 1977. It is currently the only spacecraft that has visited Uranus and Neptune. The space probe has taken pictures of the planet’s moons. Voyager 2 was launched 16 days before it’s twin Voyager 1. Voyager 2 cost 895 million dollars and could reach top speeds of 35,970 miles per hour. On December 10th, 2018, Voyager 2 has joined Voyager 1 in interstellar space. The spacecraft ended up discovering 10 new moons and 2 new rings while at Uranus, and at Neptune, Voyager 2 discovered 5 new moons, four rings, and a “Great Dark Spot”.
Is it a robot?
Yes, Voyager 2 is considered a robot because it possesses all 6 of the characteristics that make a robot a robot. Let’s start with the program. The Voyager 2 space probe has a program that allows it to take pictures of certain things that NASA wants it to take pictures of. Voyager 2 has a brain that holds the program and tells the robot when to take the pictures. The sensors in Voyager 2 allow the robot to detect where it is in space, and send that information to NASA employees. Actuators allow the robot to move through space at higher speeds. The body of the space probe protects it from harm that may happen in space. The last characteristic is the behavior of the robot. Every robot has a behavior because every robot has a program that is telling them what to do. In this case, Voyager 2’s behavior is taking pictures of the planets and travelling through space.
Information from:
https://www.jpl.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-2/
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voyager_2
https://solarsystem.nasa.gov/missions/voyager-2/in-depth/
Pictures from:
https://www.engadget.com/2018/10/07/voyager-2-probe-may-be-on-the-edge-of-interstellar-space/